Hand truck



. Z. ADAMS.

HAND TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26.1921- 7 1,431,861, Patented Oct. 10,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

IIWEli/TOR ZQADAMS M IFTTUIWEVS Z. ADAMS.

HAND TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26,1921.

1,431, 1,, Patented Oct. 10,1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

hWE/VTOR inea .arnr oaeiceo zntnman ADAMS, or new YORK, n. Y.

1mm) TRUCK;

Application filed July 26, 1921.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, ZELEMAN AoAMs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Hand'Truck, of which the following is a description. v

My invention relates to a transporting vehicle and more particularly to a device which is commonly known as a hand truck.

It is a well appreciated fact that it has i been customary to employ hand trucks including a body portion supported on wheels, for the transportation of crates and-ob ects,

which articles even weighed up to 1500 pounds.

It is well understood by those conversant in devices of this nature that although the extreme 'weight suggested is only handled under exceptional circumstances, nevertheless it is nothing unusual for an article weighing up to 1000 pounds to be handled. Although astevedore is capable of handling even this extreme load when the same is once in position upon the truck,- it is appreciated that considerable difiiculty is experienced in properly placing the truck adjacent the article to be handled and in subsequently disposing the article upon the truck, this operation in some instances requiring the services of three or four men.

Having these and further defects in mind my present invention aims to provide a hand truck in which means will be provided permitting a single stevedore to handle an article with relative ease, which article may be of an extreme Weight.

A. further object of my invention is the provision of a device of the character stated, in which a structure will be provided precluding the possibility of the article becoming dislodged from the truck while the same is being moved.

Still another object of this invention is the construction of a hand truck in which a. brake will be provided, enabling the operator to properly manipulate the truck while the same is being loaded and unloaded and also to further overcome the difiiculty which is experienced in guiding a heavily loaded truck down an inclined surface.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character stated which shall be capable of being manufactured at a nominal figure and in which ever, it will be noted,

Serial No, 487,614.

the parts will be extremely simple and rugged so as to be capable of withstanding abuse.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the specification taken in connection with the drawlngs, which latter present one practical embod ment of the same, and in which Figure 1 1s aside elevation of a truck embody ng my improved construction and showing the position which the parts assume whlle an article is being transported;

F1g'ure 2 1s a view similar to Figure l but showing an article being disposed upon the truck; v Figure 3 is a front view of the truck showing the parts as in Figure 2; and

F igure 4. is a transverse sectional view taken along the lines 44.- and in the direction of the arrows in'Figure 3.

In these views it will be seen that the reference numeral 5 indicates the side members of a truck, which in the usual manner presents handles 6 and has its body supported upon suitable rollers 7, it that cross braces 8 extend between the side members of the body as in conventional construction.

Contrary to customary construction, howreference being had to: Figure 1, that a frame 9 is disposed above the body 5 of the truck and this frame is rockingly attached to the latter at a point preferably adjacent its lower end as at 10, so that the frame 9 may be swung with respect to the truck body. Further a shoe 11 is conveniently associated with the lower end of the frame 9 and this retaining element affords a support for crates, etc.,

.which may be disposed upon the frame 9.

Now with a view of providing means which. will serve to move the frame 9 with respect to the body of the truck it will be noted that I preferably employ a pair of toggles each consisting of a pair of links 12 having their inner ends pivotally connected one to the other, their outer ends being associated with the frame 9 and body of the truck respectively. Further, those links associated with the body of the truck are preferably extended to form handles 13 and thus an operator may break or open the toggle by swinging the handles 13. In this connection it is also to be noted that incident to this mechanism, the leverage is increased and consequently the effort necessary to swing the frame with respect to the body of body and the the truck is reduced. Also, the point of hinge connection 10 of, the frame with the truck is preferably at apoint below the point of attachment of the rollers 7 with the latter. Thus, the leverage at this ointis also increased and it will obviously e understood that an operator may swing the frame with respect to the body of the truck assuming that the parts are in the position illustrated in far less expenditure of energy than would be necessary if the entire body of the truck were to be swung.

Now with a view of providing means which will serve to properly retain the crate to be carried upon the frame, while the latter is being moved to its proper position and also while the crate is in process of transportation, it will be seen, reference being had to Figures 3 and 4, that the frame 9 preferably mounts a guide bar 14 extending longitudinally of the same upon which a block 15 is slidably positioned. A cable 16 slidably passes through the block 15' and has a hook 17 secured to its outer end. Thus, as in Figure 2, the operator may bring the truck adjacent to the crate to be carried and subsequent.. tomoving the frame outwardly with respect to the body of the truck, he may pass the hook 17 around the outer upper edge of the crate to be moved and may properly secure the end of the cable, it being noted" in this connection, that the block is slid along the barto a position preferably to the rear of the object being carried and by this expedient,it will be obviously impossible for the package to become displaced from the shoe 11 while the frame 9- is again being swung to its position on the truck, the latter is being moved along a supporting surface.

' Finally, it is well understood that it has heretofore been necessary for a stevedore to use his foot as a braking element for the rollers of the truck, while a crate was being disposed upon the later, so as to prevent the truck from moving away from the object to be lifted. Incident to this operation it is further understood that any number of men have become injured due to the fact that an excessive weight was being handled upon the truck, and the latter had beenswung to a position at which the said weight had moved past dead center. In this instance, the operator has often not acted with sufficient alacrity in removing his foot and due to the sudden strain exerted upon his wrists, his rasp upon the truck has often become oose'ned and his leg has been caught below the truck resulting in an injury to this member. y

Thus, to overcome this difliculty it will be noted that I utilize an element in the nature of a stirrup 18, the arms of which Figures 2 and 4, with a or while are rockingly secured to the truck 5, the cross bar 19 of the said stirrup being bevelled so that the same may be swung to the position indicated in Figures 2, 3 and 4, it being understood that when this element is in this position that a rearward movement of the truck is virtually precluded; By this expedient it will not-be necessary for the operator to use his and thus this objection will be overcome. Also, where the truck is heavily weighted and is descending an inclined surface, the operator may utilize this braking element to advantage by backing the truck down the. incline; after having first swung the stirrup to the position shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. Thus, when this operation is being resorted tov the rollers-will be almost completely locked against'rotation and the operator may readily move the truck down the incli ne without fear of the same overturning.

From the foregoing it will be understood that all the objects set forth in the preamble of the specification are accomplished in that a single operator may move the truck to a position adjacent to the object to be carried subsequent to which the frame may be swung with respect to the body of the truck and the latter may be held against rearward movement by means of the stirrup 18.

The crate or object to be carried may now be tilted so as to permit the shoe 11 to obtain a hold below the same and the hook 17 will prevent any further movement on the part of the object being carried after the same has once been properly disposed upon the frame. The operator may then move to the rear of the truck and by manipulating the handles 13 may bring the frame to its proper position subsequent to which the truck may be moved after the stirrup 18 has been swung to its normal position shown in Figure 1.

It will be understood that numerous modifications of structure might readily be resorted to without at least departing from the scope of my claims, which 818-? 1. A hand truck including a body, a frame rockingly attached to said body, links having their inner ends attached to each other, their outer ends being rockingly attached to said frame and body respectively, and handles rigidly attached to said latter links and extending at an angle thereto.

2. A hand truck including a body, a frame rockinglyattached to said body at its lower end, a pair of bell crank levers attached to the opposite sides of said body adjacent its upper end, links swingingly attached to the opposite sides of the frame adjacent its upper end, and a pivotal connection between the free ends of the links and one end of each bell crank lever whereby upon manipulation of the free arms of the bell crank foot to act as a brake levers relative separation between the upper end of the frame and body will be effected, as and for the purpose specified.

'3. A hand truck including abody, a frame rockingly attached to said body, links having their inner ends attached to each other, their outer ends being rockingly attached to said frame and body respectively, and handles rigidly attached to said latter links and extending at an angle thereto, in combination with means carried by the frame for engagement with the object to be carried by the truck for holding the same in place during the loading of the true 4. A hand truck including a body, a frame rockingly attached to said body, links having their inner ends attached to each other, their outer ends being rockingly attached to said frame and body respectively, and handles ri idly attached to said latter links and extending at an angle thereto, in combination with means carried by the frame for engagement with the object to be carried said frame and body respectively, and

handles rigidly attached to said latter links and extending at an angle thereto, in combination with means carried by the frame for engagement with the object to be carried by the truck for holding the same in place during the loading of the truck, said means including a block lon itudinally slidable on the frame, a flexib eelement movable through the block, a hook carried by one terminal of the flexible element, and means for securing the opposite terminal of the flexible element to the frame.

ZELEMAN ADAMS. 

